Turkey: Whether consent of both parents is required for a Turkish citizen under 18 years of age to obtain a passport, and whether there are any other procedural or documentary requirements for minors to obtain a passport or to travel outside Turkey
In a 27 October 2008 telephone interview, an official at the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Ottawa stated that, according to Turkish passport law, Turkish authorities require the consent of both parents in order for a minor [a person under the age of 18 years (Turkey 30 Oct. 2008)] to obtain a passport. An application for a minor's passport must be made in person; if one parent is absent during application, a notarized consent letter from that parent is required (Turkey 27 Oct. 2008). However, if the parents of a minor are not married, Turkish authorities verify the custody decision and the parent who has custody can be the sole parent to provide consent (ibid.). Only a valid passport is required for a minor to travel outside Turkey, the Official stated that only a valid passport is required (ibid.).
The Official also stated that minors are either issued their own passport or are added to their parent's passport (ibid.). In order for a minor to receive his or her own passport, Turkish authorities require the Turkish birth certificates - Nüfüs Hüviyet Cüzdanı (pink for females and blue for males) - of the parents and the minor, any previous passports, as well as both parents' consent (ibid.). Turkish authorities are first required to verify whether the applicant already has a passport; if a previous passport has been lost or stolen, Turkish authorities require a copy of the police report (ibid.).
According to the Embassy Official, though every Turkish citizen has the right to have a passport, in some cases, minors are added to their parents' passport (ibid.). There is a section in the "ordinary" Turkish passport, on page five, entitled "Children," where the name, surname, date of birth and sex of the child can be added (ibid.). The Official stated that a photogragh of the child is not necessary (ibid.).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Turkey. 30 October 2008. Embassy of the Republic of Turkey, Ottawa. Telephone interview with an official.
______. 27 October 2008. Embassy of the Republic of Turkey, Ottawa. Telephone interview with an official.
Additional Sources Consulted
Internet sites, including: Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Washington DC, European University Institute, Legislationline, Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs, United Kingdom (UK) Border Agency, United States (US) Department of State.